United Airlines launched an investigation into the source of the leaks during Gop Senator Ted Cruz’s controversial trip to Cancun, Mexico, while his Texan colleagues were shaking – and dying – without power, amid low temperatures.
But the head of the flight attendants’ union asked United to resign.
“It is against United’s policies to share personal information about our customers and we are investigating this incident,” the airline said in a statement to Politico, which first reported the investigation.
An airline executive told Politico that it was not yet sure what action the company would take if the leaker or leaks were found, but that “no option is on the table.” Thousands of employees have potential access to information about consumer flights.
Sara Nelson, president of the Flight Attendant Association (AFA-CWA), defended the leak and asked United in a tweet to drop the probe. She said Cruz was not just a “client,” but “a public servant who lied too many times.”
She added, “Hey United, #WeAreAllTheLeak.”
Cruz’s insensitive escape to Cancun, along with his family and friends, exploded in the media after photos of him boarding a flight to the sun appeared on Wednesday.
He first lied that he was simply a “good father” and accompanied his daughters to Mexico and returned the next day. But Cruz had initially planned to stay for the weekend, according to flight reservations revealed in the press, and apparently went on to avoid harsh attacks. He finally admitted that he had planned to stay for days and that the trip was “obviously a mistake”.
Until Saturday, United had much bigger worries, as a flight from Denver to Hawaii lost the use of an engine shortly after takeoff and rained aircraft debris on the ground. The Boeing 777-200 quickly returned safely to Denver International Airport and no one on the flight – or from the ground – was injured.
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